https://archive.is/ucvkn
https://web.archive.org/web/20230.../KM1262649
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https://archive.is/ucvkn https://web.archive.org/web/20230223144317/https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1262649
Loved the fold3 but build quality is terrible. Never dropped the phone and after 15 months, there's a black stripe down the middle and the right screen becomes unresponsive to touch. The black stripe became larger and larger. It costs $550 to repair. Many other people reported same issues. Beware.
T-Mobile more expensive and oos already Frown missed it
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Let me save y'all about 4 hours, which is how long it took me to finally get to the right people to make this happen. Here is how I got this handled
I ordered a $5 Tello number, selected e-sim, received number within a few minutes. Make sure to register the pin they give you in the email, it gives you all the port out info access. Theres a code there that is needed to enter in Best Buy portal when you port it over to ATT.
Ported that number in to ATT via Best Buy portal
Picked up phone
Powered on Phone with ATT sim
Finished ALL account creation, including pin number creation etc via ATT email
Spent 3 hours getting tossed around 10 different reps and departments and supervisors via online chat, disconnected multiple times, told no multiple times, etc etc etc.
Don't bother submitting request online for unlock, it will be denied.
Just call technical support, JUST CALL!!! 1800-288-2020. Call from a phone other that the Z Fold 3. Reason you call from other phone is you will want to pop your sim in from other provider to get to the sim unlock prompt while you are on the phone with them. Tell them you need technical support, you may get tossed around one more time, but you WILL get someone that can help you.
Have your link ready that states phones paid in full at purchase can be unlocked without waiting 60 days. I had to legit provide not just the wording, but the exact link. The rep will literally navigate to it and will be super surprised and state that this is the first they've ever heard of this policy and that they always get hassled by the unlock team and ultimately never get the unlock code for the customer.
Have your receipt from Best Buy ready ready to go (I had to legit take pics with my phone and text them to a number they gave me).
After about 10 minutes with the rep, they provided the unlock code.
Make sure to input the unlock code prior to getting transferred over to cancellation department.
Get sent over to cancellation department and submit for cancellation under buyer's remorse policy.
Done and done. Save yourself a lot of time and just call them. I paid $299 plus tax and have a fully unlocked phone on T-mobile with no issues at all. ATT service is shut down, I didn't care about the Tello number, much easier to pay the $5 for a Tello than mess with a number you actually care about keeping. Just cancel the service and it is over and done with.
I obviously can't promise this is gonna work for every single person. I suppose a non-cooperative rep might not wanna go the extra mile for you, but my telephone rep was super helpful and patient. She admitted I had done my diligence with researching the terms and pushed the "unlock team" to help her with the code. YMMV of course, but this worked for me. Just be patient and courteous to the rep. I was frustrated with how long it was taking but you need to acknowledge that each new person you talk to, it is their first interaction with you, they have no idea how long you've been dealing with people. You can avoid a lot of frustration by just calling to start out instead of trying to manage the situation via online chat.
Questions, feel free to ask, perhaps I wasn't completely thorough, but that was basically what I went through. Good luck all.
Port out the line to cancel. Line automatically cancels as soon as the number it ported out (5-10 mins). You can port to Tello for $2.50.
https://slickdeals.net/f/16531969-tello-50-off-selected-plans
These phones are subsidized by the carriers and hoping people would switch or add more lines and stay with them, etc; therefore different carrier may offer different prices.
You can request unlock right away because it's paid in full with no money owed; i.e., no monthly installment,
Yes.
Port out the number to cancel right away (5-10 min, as soon as the number is ported) so that you don't have to deal with rep that doesn't allow you to cancel. You can port to Tello for $2.50.
https://slickdeals.net/f/16531969-tello-50-off-selected-plans
Yes, but you can cancel right away.
I picked up my Fold 3 this morning from bestbuy. ATT variant.
Ordered online with the porting in option as it wouldn't let me order otherwise. Used a random boost mobile number I had and have no intention of porting in a number.
BB didn't ask for anything in store, just gave me the phone and i walked out.
Received att emails after pickup, created account, created ATT PIN, jotted down account number, and saw $60 plan but $0 due.
unboxed and booted with t-mobile sim card, asked for unlock code.
tried to unlock from my att portal, but denied.
tried to unlock using the request unlock website for non att members, but denied via email
Started a chat with att to cancel service and request unlock.
I mentioned having bad service reception in my area and wanted to cancel and wanted to unlock phone to use it for work which was a different provider.
They wanted me to reset the network, but i said not interested just want to cancel.
They also mentioned that i lose my port in number if i cancelled. which was wierd since i never actually ported in the number yet.
Eventually, they said, "Since the total due balance if $0.00 there will be no charges now. Your services with AT&T will be completely shut off."
Then i asked about the network unlock, which they said they sent directly to my phone. Didn't work even though she said it was unlocked on their system. Eventually they provided the unlock code which worked.
Now my fold 3 is cancelled with att service with 0 payments or fees and unlocked so i can use my Tmobile sim.
hope that helps some of ya.
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No, the 50% off has expired. The cheapest plan is now $5. You can try the code 15OFFAFF or 15OFFFOF for 15% off.
I think most people that successfully unlocked knew what they were doing, used the portal, and quietly ported out their number to cancel. Also, most of them do this quietly behind the scene and don't post here. It's always recommended to not call AT&T on "deal" like this because shit will hit the fan when you get clueless reps and waste countless hours. This happens on every AT&T deal threads. Search on past threads for failed unlocks, and you will see the same pattern every single time. The reason is most people are inexperience, and there are a few approaches to unlock, depending on your situations, (i.e., what works for one person may not work for another), which create the confusions, contractions, etc, on every thread.
Just have to wait 60 days after activated. You can cancel the line right after activation as the phone does not have to stay active on the line for the full 60 days.
Yes, that would work and choose the you don't have a mobile number from AT&T option on the portal.
As for the unlock - most here started with the unlock portal. Calling is what you do once the portal rejects the request. People aren't screwing up. The portal isn't following their own policy in some circumstances.
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be delivered next Wednesday. When ordered I was transferred to ATT portal twice. Twice I entered my information, including SSN. Twice received email from ATT to confirm my email. Did this twice) And ATT system shows that I don't have any account with them, nothing.
Today I got a call from Best buy geek squad support regarding they had some malfunction between their system and ATT system, and my port out didn't work out. And that BB needs some 4 digits PIN from "my" ATT account to be able to activate the phone. They asked my last 4 digits of my SSN so they could contact ATT customer service to create an account for me and get that 4 digits PIN so they (BB) were able to activate the phone. Because without this they will not ship it to me. I provided my last 4 digits, hoping they will do the rest.
In half an hour I got a ring again from BB. She told me that ATT CS refused to create account for me even she was BB employee. They insisted that I have to call them and create that account by phone. So they will provide me that PIN number personally. I tried to create an account online, but it's impossible because I don't have a phone number associated with ATT.
Honestly I'm not comfortable I have to call ATT CS and provide my information, including complete SSN number by phone!
Any suggestions guys?
Go check your phone number at https://www.att.com/portstatus/
She went that site and entered my number and we found out that it's in pending process. Fill up all blank fields it should proceed port in process. She told me that this should work out and BB will be able to activate the phone. But she wasn't sure if I receive PIN number. If system accomplish transferring and won't send PIN then she suggested visiting them again or call support to reset PIN.
I tried to jump on this deal as soon as it popped up BUT since I am a Verizon customer ordering an ATT cell, the Best Buy website wouldn't let me complete my order. It stated that I needed to go into store.
That too was an experience as the lead employee said she could not order it even though I am showing it in my cart. We went back and forth until I saw she was trying to order a Flip not the zFold...duh!
Again, I rushed into BB to get this done well before most of you all had commented, so I didn't have any experience or background with what I was doing...
What I mean by that was I let them open an ATT account, got the opportunity to choose my ATT number, paid for just the Fold 3 and expect delivery tomorrow.
I knew nothing about TELOS or other work-arounds AND HOPE I am not too late to simply have an unlocked, paid for cell AND NO ATT commitment!!!
After filtering through 40+ pages of comments, I remain confused and concerned.
Can I get some counsel advice or hand-holding so I don't get screwed and save a few dollars??
1. As the cell is not here yet, but I have (I believe) an account with ATT now after Best Buy completed the order in store yesterday, HOW CAN I complete this "deal" where the Fold3 is unlocked AND I DO NOT HAVE an ATT account that I certainly do not need after all is said and done???
2 Also, I see several mentions about TELOS throughout this thread BUT I have no idea on what to look for on fheir website. And, again, I am a longtime Verizon customer and have no need for an additional and costly ATT line when I have myself and three other family members I am paying for now on Verizon.
So i think the two issues (at least) I have before me are:
1. I want to end up with an unlocked Fold3 that I can use on my Verizon account some day that isn't blacklisted, etc
2. I DO NOT want to pay ATT for service, etc.,now or in the future.
Does that make sense?
Are there any SD'ers out there who can assist??
Thank you in advsnce.
Once you get the device, do not activate it with the ATT sim. Instead pop in the Verizon sim and device will ask for the unlock code. Go to ATT unlock link, make sure to use the no ATT account option and simply put the device's IMEI1 # from the box (do not use IMEI2). Next page put all your details and submit the unlock request.
In 1 minute you'll get the unlock confirmation email, accept it. Then you'll receive the unlock code within a min in your mailbox.
Go check your phone number at https://www.att.com/portstatus/
She went that site and entered my number and we found out that it's in pending process. Fill up all blank fields it should proceed port in process. She told me that this should work out and BB will be able to activate the phone. But she wasn't sure if I receive PIN number. If system accomplish transferring and won't send PIN then she suggested visiting them again or call support to reset PIN.
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Once you get the device, do not activate it with the ATT sim. Instead pop in the Verizon sim and device will ask for the unlock code. Go to ATT unlock link, make sure to use the no ATT account option and simply put the device's IMEI1 # from the box (do not use IMEI2). Next page put all your details and submit the unlock request.
In 1 minute you'll get the unlock confirmation email, accept it. Then you'll receive the unlock code within a min in your mailbox.
PS I just hope it works!!!
I did read somewhere, maybe here, to use A Google Voice number for "porting" and I just happen to have one.
My next concern is making sure ATT doesn't try and force me into a plan after the BB clerk had me do all she did....
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